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Research on optimal values of contrast revealing coefficient in road tunnel lighting

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Abstract

Based on the perceived contrast method in road tunnel lighting, Commission Internationale de l´Eclairage (CIE) defined the contrast revealing coefficient qc. The research report CIE 189-2010 recommended that contrast revealing coefficient qc was one of the indicators of tunnel lighting quality evaluation system. Many studies suggested that the value of qc was 0.6 under counter-beam lighting in tunnel lighting threshold zone. The value of contrast revealing coefficient was 0.2 under symmetric lighting. However, no studies have recommended the optimal value of contrast revealing coefficient under different lighting systems. The optimal value of contrast revealing coefficient was closely related to visual efficacy and driving safety in road tunnel lighting. Based on the range values of contrast revealing coefficient and visual efficacy experiment, this paper aimed to study the optimal values of contrast revealing coefficient under different lighting systems. The research results were as follows: the optimal value of contrast revealing coefficient qc was 0.20 under symmetric lighting and the optimal value of qc was 0.85 under counter-beam lighting. The optimal value of contrast revealing coefficient was 0.17 under pro-beam lighting.

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Abbreviations

qc :

Contrast revealing coefficient

qc0 :

Threshold values of contrast revealing coefficient

Ev :

Vertical illuminance of a small target (lx)

ρ:

The reflection coefficient of small target

C:

The luminance contrast

L:

Vision acuity level

α:

Visual angle (′)

T:

Reaction time (ms)

Lb :

Background luminance (cd/m2)

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through grants (Fund No. 51278507) and the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Science and Technology Department (Fund No. 2019J01787).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China

    Xianyun Cai

  2. Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China

    Xianyun Cai, Ji Weng, Yingkui Hu & Feng Du

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  1. Xianyun Cai
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  2. Ji Weng
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  4. Feng Du
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Correspondence to Xianyun Cai.

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Cai, X., Weng, J., Hu, Y. et al. Research on optimal values of contrast revealing coefficient in road tunnel lighting. Sādhanā 45, 170 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-020-01400-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-020-01400-7

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